Tears
by Sanguinary
Summary: How does Dawn cope with her mother's death?


TITLE: Tears  
AUTHOR: Sanguinary  
COPYRIGHT: Mar. 3, 2001  
DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive.  
RATING: PG 13  
CATEGORY: Depressive Drama  
IMPROV: Wax, Alert, Vice, Shelter  
SPOILERS: Up to The Body, Season 5  
DISCLAIMER: Buffy does not belong to me. It belongs to WB and Joss  
FEEDBACK: Greatly enjoyed. Send to: Sanguinary_515@hotmail.com  
SUMMARY: How does Dawn handle her mother's death?  
  
~  
  
Everything she sees reminds her of mom.  
  
A Q-Tip, it's cottony end with a trace of yellow wax. Mom called them ear boogers. The Q-tip   
lies in the bathroom garbage can, lying in a garbag can that mom will never empty again.  
  
In the basement there is a rack with underware. Mom liked her underware to be air dryed, but   
she refused to put them outside. So in the basement they hung, spread out on a broken rack that   
they had gotten at a grage sale after dad had left.   
  
Hanes Her Way with peach flowers on a white surface looks up at Dawn mockingly, as if to say,   
'We'll never move from here. You'll never fight with you mom again. You'll never sing in the   
kictchen while she sings from the bedroom. You'll never have another water fight, you'll never   
tease her about her hair, you'll never feel her arms holding tight, making you safe. Never.'  
  
They're a half open jar of peanut butter on the counter. Extra Chunky with a chearful squrile   
smiling at Dawn. This was mom's peanut butter. Dawn only liked smooth and Buffy refused to eat   
peanut butter.   
  
A half open crate of strange artwork beside the clothes in the basement. A light covering of   
dust coats it. Dawn knows that mom won't be back to wipe it away. She won't pick them up out of   
the box and explain each peice to her.   
  
The house is too empty without her. Dawn can't really call the house a home anymore. It's just   
shelter from the outside. Home was mom. Home was noisy and filled with the sound of her voice.   
Without her, it's just a house. A house like any other.  
  
On the answering machine a red number three flashes, alerting the residents of the house to the   
fact that there are _Important Messages_ that need to be heard. Pushing the button, Dawn   
listens to the messages.  
  
'BEEP. Hi Joyce, this is . I haven't heard from you lately and I just wanted to make sure   
everything was O.K. How are your kids? Well, just give me a call when you have the time.   
Thanks.'  
  
Mom will never have the time to return this call. She'll never pick up the phone and answer it   
with a happy chirp. There will never be another 'Boy' talk with mom, never another chance to   
gossip or tease.  
  
'BEEP. Joyce, your new shipment came in. We need you to come sign for it. We're at the Bus   
Depo in storage number five. See you then. Susan.'  
  
The shipment would sit in storage number five and not move. Not untill Susan found out.  
  
'BEEP. Mom it's me. Can I go over to Nicole's tonight? I'll see you when I get home! Bye!'  
  
I didn't even say I love you, thinks Dawn, I never even said I love you.  
  
And with that, Dawn falls to her knees and weeps. Tears flow down her face and splatter against   
her shirt. And every sob brings back another memory.  
  
~'Dawn, you father and I have decided that we should get a divorce.'~  
  
~'Watch out! I'm going to get you!' 'Buffy! Stop chaseing your sister! And put those chopsticks   
down!'~  
  
~'Don't cry honey, you won't feel this way forever. I promise. Now, do you want some soup?'~  
  
~'An A plus! I'm so proud of you Dawnie!'~  
  
~'Come here, pumpkin belly. Give me a kiss.'~  
  
~'Your sister's having some problems at school so we're planning to move to a place called   
Sunnydale.'~  
  
~'Who want's coco?' 'Only if I can have some marshmellows in it!'~  
  
~'Don't worry Honey, things will get better at school.'~  
  
~'So how was your day at school?'~  
  
~'I love you Dawn.' 'I love you too mom.'~  
  
And when the tears subside, Dawn managed to stand up and look around. An empty house looked   
back at her.   
  
Then she knew what she had to do.  
~~~~~~~~  
  
"Dawn?" Buffy called out, looking for her little sister.  
  
"Down here!" Dawn's voice was muffled and weak sounding, but Buffy could tell that it was   
coming from the basement.  
  
Buffy opened the door and walked down the stairs. And then she saw a strange sight.  
  
Dawn was taking items out of a crate and setting them around her. On top of the washer was a   
pile of folded laundry. Beside Dawn was a hammer, crowbar and a vice.   
  
"Dawn? What are you doing?"  
  
Dawn looked up a Buffy with a serene expression.  
  
"Finishing some unfinished business."  
  
~End~  
  


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